Industrial truck



Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 8. 1961 M b. Nm.

IN V EN TOR. ByM/rJ/I/'d@ @kw 4 TTRIYEVS.

Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 8, 1961 a, i 0? MQ WM w.. de." 4 f .m w d@ WW BNN u QWN NNN Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs 3,170,705

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 8. 1961 v INVENTOR.

Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NICHOLS INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed June 8. 1961 INVENTOR. Wa/12723 /l/J, BY

@L6M 4 TTRIVEYS.

Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs 3,170,706

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Original Filed June 8, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Afro/Mfrs.

Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NICHOLS 3,170,106

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Original Filed June 8, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 ff J FIG-f cy i -z 25 65 fl/wf' 34m/: .20 l5 J8 9` 23 INVEN TOR.

A Tranne-vs Feb. 23, 1965 w. s. NlcHoLs INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed June 8, 1961 6. l l ma 0W mk v1 @u my. s w 0M m h au I l m Wn u Z K a. 5 d B E ,l1 Q l l l 5 6 6 .a d 6 f uw w 6, 3 vm m w mi a l idk ,w m 1 w W m^ 3 l 6 Z i M 6 I J ma w l' f 200,282 i l. Patented eb. 23, 1965 3,170,706 p .iNnUsrnrsL TRUCK Y Walter S. Nichols, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Universal American Corporation, New York, N.Y.,.a corporation of Delaware Original application June 3, 1961, Ser. No. `115,652. "Divided and this application .lune 5, 1962., Ser. No.

zclaims, (ci. 28o-43.12) This invention relatesto an industrialtruck for handlin concernedwith a powered industrial truck having a liftable `.platform for transporting very heavy loads such, for example, as large so-called Concx cases used in shipping milif vplate metal and yis downwardly iiangedrasa't 13 and 144 along its opposite side edges. 'Atits rear end, 'the platform lfhas an upstanding` walll likewise fashioned from heavy plate-metal with'rearwardlyjbent stidening anges 16 and 17.at opposite side -edges thereof, and with a rearwardlyfbent stiifening flange 1d at the top. At its upper corners the wall 15'is,provided with lateral projections -in the form of rollers 19, 20 which are'constrained for guidance within the hollows of Vertical guide lchannels 21 and 422 affixed respectively to winged brackets 23,24 at opposite'sides of the chassis .frame 1, said channels being rigidly `shipping containers andthe like. More particularly, it is tary `supplies and, when loaded, weighingv up to :9,00{) 1 pounds; the'present application being a divisionof ,a prior application Serial No'. 1115,65'2,y led by me -on June 8, 1961, now abandoned.

The chief aim of the present'invention is to provide, in connection with an Vindustrial truck ofthe kind referred to, mechanism under ready manual control for raising and .lowering the platform,-which mechanism is economicalV in fpower consumption, reliable in operation-,andresistiveto easy lderangement over long protracted periods of use.

Other. objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein: Y

FIG. Vl is a view, in side elevation, Yof an industrial truck.-

with a lift ,platform and actuating mechanism therefor constructed inaccorda'nce with my invention; QFIG. 2 showsthe truckin top plan; r r

vconnected at their tops by a cross beam 25. the platform 116, somewhat inward of its side edges, are .b ar Vlevers 26 and 27 which are fulcrumed in clevises 2d Underlying and 29 secured toa cross member Stlof a Ichassis. Vframe 1 at the bottom, andv which are fitted at their distalv ends with small rollers 3=1and 32 that engage the Vplatformffrom beneath as shown `in FIGS. 5 and 6. There is alsok a Vrelatively wide built up central lever y53 similarly fulcrumed ona vpin 34 in lugs 155 on thecross member 3e, said'lever having spaced side members 36 and 37 spanned :byfmetallic sheeting and being provided with rollers 39 at its distal end-forengagingthe platform 'ltlfrom beneath. Extend- Vingcresswise between the levers 2e, Z7 and 33 approximately midway of their lengths is va rod 4d; and arranged in the intervals between VVthe side levers and 27 and the central lever 33 and mediallypivoted von said rod, are

.builtup levers 41 and 42 whereof the siderm'embers 43,

FIG.V 3 is a fragmentarybroken out view drawntfto a Y ylargerscaleV and nshowing the rear end elevationofgthe truckwith its steering handle bar removed, and with cer-V tain parts in sections.;

f44 and d5, 4d areconnected by va .metallic sheeting 47,

Pivoted between theV distal endsof theside members of the respective levers 47, 43 are small carriages 4,9, '5d with double oor engaging rollers S1, '52. At their inner ends,

thesidev membersv 43a,v 44 and 45, 46 of the levers 41, 4Z

converge toward eachother, and secured between them `are `FlG. 4 is a'fragmentaryiview in top `plan of the frontal taken as indicated by .the angled arrows III-HI in FIG. l;

FIG.v 5 is a fragmentaryview'showing 'the frontend of thetruck partly v'in side elevation, and lpartly, inlongitudinal section taken as `indicated by the angledl arrows V-V in Y FIG. 3; t

lFIG. 6 is aviewcorresponding to FIG. 4'with the load supporting platform of thetruck in raised position;

iF-IGS. 1.7` and 8 are broken outfviews partly in elevation and partly in section, takenv as indicated by the angled end of the truck, with a portionbroken. out andinselction arrows VIIe-VII and VIIIf'VIlI respectively in 4 and 5;"and g Y FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view :showing vthe power mechanism for raising andv lowering the platform.

-As exemplified in FIGS. 1-3, ythe truck has achassis ofwhich the frame is designated*comprehensively by the numeral 1. Mounted on the chassis frame 1 is a' housing 3 wherein is encloseda power plant including an internal combustion engined and a direct-coupled electric generator 5.v At the rear, the truck has a carriage 11 providedv with a pair of steerable traction wheels 12 which are swingsov ear lugs '53, 'f4 vwhich are pivotally connected by pins-be-y tween'the ends of horizontal extremities Y'of spaced angle pieces y55,56 which are welded Vto or otherwise integrated with the wall 15 of the platform 1d at the 'back of the sa-id wall. )Pivotally connected-to swing about the pin 34 lis a -pair of doublefacting pressure-huid'cylinders o1-,F62

whereof the piston rods 163, ideare pivotally connected to across pin 65 engaged in lugs `66 welded to or otherwise integrated with the wall `1-5 of the platform 1d at the back. When the platform 10 is fully lowered normally as in FIG. 5, its front end rests directly Vupon the rollers'l, 32 and 39 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5j. vElevation of the platform is effected byV admitting pressure fluid into the bottoms ofv ithe cylinders 61, 62.v lAs the platform 1d rises, a scissor- `like actionr` takesV place betweenthe levers 26, 27 and 33 l and 41, 42 as shown in FIG. 6,'with attendant slight rearward tilting-ofthe platform due to Vlifting'of its front end by the rollers 31'-, 32 and 39V respectively at'theV distal ends of the levers 26,27 and 33,;and to pivot about theaxes .f

of the rollers 19,120 at the top corners of the wall V 15. Admission and exhaust of pressure fluid to and'from the g cylinders 61 and 62- to raise and lower the platform 11BV is able about Vertical pivotsengaged in the top platfo`rm77 of said carriage and arranged to be driven by separate electric motors 1th,?, ofthe reversible field type. VThe motors 102 are powered by current delivered from the generator 5 through aV wiring circuitv (not illustrated) controlled by` switcheswhich are operable manually by means of grasps 138 ona handle bar =1ti5 by whichy thetruck is steered.v The handle bar 1&5 is pivoted at. 196 to the'carriage 11st).

as to be movable downwardl from the normal retracted vertical position of FIG. l to a more-orless horizontal positionffor convenience of the truck user. f

With reference now to FIGS.` 4-8, thetoprof the' 11aY platform 1@ with which Vthe 'present application is'more y particularly concerned, is constructed from 'suitably stiff,

9, through a pipe 179 from a'sump18tl supported inthe controllable manually by means of a three-way valve 67 at they top of a cabinet d8 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) positioned centrally of the rear of housing 3 on the chassis 1.

The pressure fluid (whichmaybe oil) usedin the cylinders d1 and 62 is drawrnas shown in diagrammatic FIG.

chassis 1 below theenclosure 3 by a pilmp mounted on said chassis and drivenby the motor 5. `Leading from theoutlet port of pump 9 is a pipe itilhaving interposed thereinv a check valve 182, said pipe extending Vto amandalv control valve 67 whereof the slidel190 is normally Amaintained centralized by springs 191, 4192,"the fluidowing through theQbridging portion 193 of valve 67 for return, by way of pipe :195, tothejsump 180.' Thejpiatformlifting cyliniders61 and 62are"connectedat their tops by across pipe 196 and attheir bottoms by across pipe'197. leading Y There is also a branch pipe y203 which leads from pipe y181 at a point ahead of check valve 182 and in which is interposed a relief valve 204. When the platform is to be raised, the operator moves the lever of slide valve 67 to the right as considered in FIG. 9 in consequence of which uid is delivered under pressure by pump 9 through the piping `181, 188 and pipe 189, and the lefthand port of valve 67, it being finally introduced by way of the piping 200, 197, into the bottom ends of the lift cylinders 61, 62, said cylinders being relieved of uid from the top at the same time by way of the piping 196, 198 which leads back to the sump 180, during which the check valve 199 automatically opens. Upon release of the lever of valve 67 and return of the slide 190 of said valve to its normal position by the spring `192, the platform is held in raised position by trapping of the liquid beneath the pistons of said cylinders. After the case C has vbeen transported to the desired location, to lower the platform, the operator moves the lever of valve 67 to the left as viewed in FIG. 9, the liquid being thereby allowed to drain from the bottoms of lift cylinders 61, 62 back to the sump 108, by way of the piping 197, 200, the righthand port in the slide 0f valve 67, and pipe 195. After the platform is lowered, the lever of valve 67 is released by the operator whereupon the slide of said valve is returned to the normal position of FIG. 9 by the spring 191. Itis to be understood that, for the most part, the pipe connections and the valves 67,182 and 204 are all disposed within the housing 3, with the pipes `189 and 19S leading to the control valve 67, the pipe 200 leading externally from said control valve to the cylinders 61 and 62, and the pipe 198 leading from said v cylinders to the pump 9.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

`l. In an industrial truck, a chassis frame having steerable traction wheels at the rear thereof and means providing opposed laterally spaced upright guide channels at the front thereof, a platform in front of said chassis frame, said platform having an upright wall extending across the rear thereof, a pair of rollers mounted upon said wall for turning freely about a horizontal transverse axis and received respectively by said guide channels whereby to tie together the upper ends of said wall and guide channel means, at least one pair of levers extending longitudinally beneath said platform and interconnected at a point intermediate their ends vfor pivotal movement of each relative to the other about a horizontal transverse axis, one of said levers being pivotally connected by a rear portion thereof to said chassis frame and being engaged by a front end portion thereof beneath a front end portion of said platform, and the other lever being pivotally connected by a rear end portion thereof to a rear end portion of said platform and having at the distal end thereof oor engaging rollers under a front end portion ofV said platform, said levers being operative toftie together the lower ends of said wall and guide channel means, and manually controllable power means operatively interposed between said chassis frame and platform and operable for actuating said levers to raise and lower said platform.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the manually controllable power means includes a pressure iluid cylinder disposed upright between a front end portion of the chassis frame and a rear end portion of the platform, being pivotally connected to both the chassis frame and the platform for movement about horizontal transverse axes.

l References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,359,493 10/44 Schreck 280-43.12 X

2,417,394 3/47 Framhein 280-43.12 X

2,661,927 12/53 Hulsart 254-10 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,100,403 4/55 France.

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

PHILIP ARNOLD, Examiner. 

1. IN AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, A CHASSIS FRAME HAVING STEERABLE TRACTION WHEELS AT THE REAR THEREOF AND MEANS PROVIDING OPPOSED LATERALLY SPACED UPRIGHT GUIDE CHANNELS AT THE FRONT THEREOF, A PLATFORM IN FRONT OF SAID CHASSIS FRAME, SAID PLATFROM HAVING AN UPRIGHT WALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE REAR THEREOF, A PAIR OF ROLLERS MOUNTED UPON SAID WALL FOR TURNING FREELY ABOUT A HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE AXIS AND RECEIVED RESPECTIVELY BY SAID GUIDE CHANNELS WHEREBY TO TIE TOGETHER THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID WALL AND GUIDE CHANNEL MEANS, AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF LEVERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BENEATH SAID PLATFORM AND INTERCONNECTED AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF EACH RELATIVE TO THE OTHER ABOUT A HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE AXIS, ONE OF SAID LEVERS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED BY A REAR PORTION THEREOF TO SAID CHASSIS FRAME AND BEING ENGAGED BY A FRONT END PORTION THEREOF BENEATH A FRONT END PORTION OF SAID PLATFROM, AND THE OTHER LEVER BEING PIVOTALY CONNECTED BY A 